"People" are the key to business success, as all us people know. But "people" as a success factor is like the weather -- everybody talks about it, but no one does anything about it.  Since our first newsletter reported the impressive people-management principles of First, Break All The Rules, we will try to share with you added-value content we've gained from experience, as we continue our series on the Top Success Factors of All Time.

Recently I saw an interview of legendary GE Chairman Jack Welch on the Charlie Rose show.  It was interesting that, while GE aspires to be No.1 or No. 2 in every market it competes in, Welch claims that their core competence is developing people.  GE and a few other big companies have cultures that strongly encourage effective management and people development, but in the vast majority of companies, that does not happen.  Here are a few key truths about people as a success factor which may be helpful for you:

1. That which gets reinforced gets repeated.  Michael LeBoeuf a few years ago wrote a book called, The Greatest Management Principle in the World, and that is his key point.  The reinforcement principle of behaviorism was discovered by B.F. Skinner and has been rejected by some people because it applies as much to rats in a cage as it does to humans.  And guess what? It works just as well on both (including kids). If you want somebody to repeat a behavior, reinforce it with some type of reward that they will appreciate.  That might be as simple as saying "Well done."  If you want somebody to stop a behavior, withdraw the reinforcement. And interestingly, the most powerful way to sustain a behavior is through intermittent reinforcement. If a child (or employee) wants something that is not in the firm's best interests, and you give in just a couple of times, that habit will be more deeply ingrained than if you gave in every time, then suddenly stopped.  Consistency is extremely important.

2. Different strokes for different folks. Because people are fundamentally unique individuals, what one considers a reward, another may consider punishment.  The most widely used personality profiling system, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, features 16 different personality types, each with their own preferred strokes (a similar version is available online at http://www.keirsey.com).  If you know your people's types, you can give them the strokes they want; if not, you can stroke against their grain by treating them the way you want to be treated, not the way they want to be treated.

3. You cannot not communicate.  That axiom, from The Pragmatics of Human Communication, refers to the fact that not communicating with someone says to them, "I don't care about you." When we do studies of nonmanagerial employees, we always find that they consider internal communication to be inadequate.  Managers get busy putting out fires and trying to be sure clients' needs are met, and they forget the importance of communicating with everyone about what's going on with the company.  They may rationalize that, "I’m in charge and I know what I'm doing," but all the employees see is the stone wall of silence.   People want to know what is going on and how it does or will affect them, and you cannot overdo that.  It shows people you care about them. Not communicating says you don't care about them, even if you really do.  The most effective communication is always face to face.  Face time says "I care about you" like nothing else.  Avoid emails or memos for any information which might be misunderstood or possibly construed as negative.

4. You can't change people; change the system.  By the time someone is 21 or 22, their personalities and behaviors are so set that nothing is going to change them except a significant emotional event.  Such an event might be marriage, divorce, the birth of a child or the death of a loved one.  It is hard to engineer positive emotional events at work that are significant and appropriate. Some teams go whitewater rafting or wilderness hiking to share emotional experiences.  But generally speaking, you cannot change people, so instead you change the system of rewards that reinforce desired behaviors, or in rare cases, punish unacceptable behaviors (generally punishment backfires and creates deep resentment, even rebellion).  For example, if quality is important, you create a system that measures and rewards high quality.  You don't preach to your people or put up signs that say, "Remember, don't make mistakes!"  And you walk the talk by demonstrating your own passion for quality -- or whatever behavioral change you are trying to instill.

5. If you want it done, ask the doers. Before initiating change or "improvements," let the people who will be responsible for implementation have a say in the way the changes will be handled.  That is obvious but so often not done. Even if you go against their preferences, they appreciate being heard, respect you for asking, and will be more likely to follow whatever the outcome.  If you do not ask, it is amazing how people can resist in many subtle ways that ultimately sabotage the outcome.

6. When you ask for people's input, respond quickly. We've been involved in a number of situations where employees' hopes were raised through focus groups or other input, but in spite of our recommendations, management did not act on what people said. Again you do not have to do what they ask. But employee emotions are extremely time sensitive.  You lift their hopes when you seek their input, and if you act on that input, you sustain their enthusiasm and energies. If you wait too long, the emotional peak passes and you will not have another chance like that for a long time.  This is one reason GE has been so successful with their "workout" sessions.  Everyone involved gets in one room and one manager is in charge. Discussion focuses on one problem. No one leaves the room until the top manager decides what action will be taken on the problem.  The decision may be to act now or to delegate the problem to a task force if more information is essential, but some action is always taken.  This is one way GE keeps their people "electrified" and loyal.

7. It's all about human energy. Human energy is the ultimate resource for any business. People are not just bodies but energy systems with minds, feelings and spirits.  Any planning effort or change effort will succeed best if you channel people's natural energies in the direction of the new activities. (Refer to 1 and 2 above.) Find out how each person naturally uses his or her energies through instruments like Myers-Briggs or Keirsey indicators.  Try to give them roles in the new activities that let them use their natural energies effectively.  Communicate with them often -- up-front and on-going.  It is amazing what people will do when you work with their natural energies and encourage them along the way.

Here are a three references if you want to read more; all are classics:

The Greatest Management Principle in the World by Michael LeBoeuf, Ph. D.:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0425113973/wwwlciwebcom

The Pragmatics of Human Communication by Paul Watzlawick:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393010090/wwwlciwebcom

Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey (the bible of Myers-Briggs typology):
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1885705026/wwwlciwebcom

Best regards from The Managing-Leading Edge, Buck Lawrimore